A Special Celebration for Vietnamese Community

On Sunday 19th November, Fr Paul Phu Lu generously travelled from his Parish in Finley NSW in order to meet with members of our strong Vietnamese here is Swan Hill and in a special way to help prepare them for Christmas. He was able to hear confessions and celebrate a Mass for the community in their own language, which was very well attended by some 80 parishioners. After Mass there was a special shared meal in the Parish Function Centre followed by an opportunity for some question and answer withFr Phu and then some singing. Many of our new parishioners had only arrived in Australia a few days before, so it was a terrific way to help them feel at home and part of this new community.

The celebration also became an opportunity to thank Bang and Kim Mai who have been such important figures in helping to support and connect our Vietnamese Community with our Parish, especially with organising special celebrations, participation with Parish events and of course coordinating the beautiful Christmas Decorations in Swan Hill for the last three year. Bang and Kim Mai will be moving to Bendigo in the New Year, and we will miss them greatly. Before they left though they were able to anoint a new ‘captain’ for the Christmas Decorations, and Don was able to recruit some helpers with a promise of a ‘straight path to heaven’.

It was a terrific evening, and we are very thankful to Fr Phu for so generously making the effort to travel across. We look forward to welcoming him again in the new year.